Star Wars - Ezra Bridger
Star Wars - Ezra Bridger is a 5-issue miniseries written by Haou1987 detailing the adventures of Ezra Bridger set in the time period between Season 2 and Season 3 of Star Wars: Rebels. It will run concurrent with Droid Antics III. Issues Ezra Bridger #1 Ezra was meditating at the border of the artificial border created by the sensor equipment on Atollon, when he felt tremors in the Force. He attempts to concentrate his focus on the location of the tremors, when he is disturbed by Sabine who asks if he is alright. Ezra admits he fears what is coming and that he will fall for the pull of the Dark Side that was initiated by Maul on Malachor.Sabine tells him to follow his feelings, that is what Kanan or Ahsoka would have told him to do, at which point Ezra admits he doesn't understand his path and without Kanan or Ahsoka to guide him on, who or what will guide him. In the middle of the night he takes a RZ-1 A-Wing Interceptor and disappears from the system. After a day of floating around he finds himself stranded in space and he wonders whether he did the right thing, when he is surrounded by beasts traveling through, he thought were only legends - the Purrgil. They latch themselves onto his ship and drag him into Hyperspace, just as the legend that Ezra knew told. Traveling through Hyperspace, Ezra uses his natural ability to connect with the animal wildlife to reach out to the Purrgil but his recent encounters have brought him closer to the Dark Side of the Force, which leads him into conflict with the Purrgil who attempt to bounce him off their herd. Ultimately he manages to hold on long enough for the Purrgil to reach their destination, which is the Avex Nebula, home to the herd. Here he is able to escape the herd who were close to destroying his ship, but with a slightly malfunctioning hyperdrive, Ezra is forced to look for a different port to land in. Having no astromech to help him out, he elects to fly to nearest planet. Once landed there, he decides against activating a beacon and covers up the ship to make sure he can return to it. Using the gear from the starfighter he learns of a small settlement nearby, which he scouts out, but finds it rather empty. As he goes through the settlement he learns it is a training ground for new Imperial troops, more specifically specialized troops like the Inquisitor Troopers, the Emperor's Royal Guard and other units. As he disarms one Royal Guard trainee on patrol and knocks him out, he dresses up as the trainee to get inside the Imperial base, but once he gets into the barracks, he discovers one of his companions is none other then Zare Leonis! Ezra Bridger #2 In the training facility on the unknown planet where Ezra Bridger landed, he was stunned to discover a familiar face there, Zare Leonis! When he confronts Zare, Zare whisks him away from the main group and tells him he is here because he might have found his sister and he infiltrated the Imperial compound. Ezra wants to help him and Zare agrees, but tells him he needs to change in order to fit in. After shaving off parts of his hair to fit with military protocol, he and Zare were led to the courtyard where they were pitted against one another by the drill commander Edon Krell. While sparring, Zare and Ezra got a good look around the courtyard, but Zare beats Ezra due to Ezra's inability to keep focus. As Ezra regained his composure, he was dragged away from Zare and to a separate area, where he was put through a series of mental tests, allowing Krell and his instructors to test whether he was Force-Sensitive. As this became quite obvious quickly, Ezra attempted to influence the minds of the guards but it is revealed that the guards are Yinchorri, species that are immune to the powers of the Force. He is then taken by the guards to a different room where Edon Krell reveals himself to be an Emperor's Hand and that Ezra is to be put in their special training program. Thanks to a rumor created by Zare outside, Krell is distracted enough for Ezra to escape the room, but he is knocked down by a masked assassin, before being dragged into the open, citing Ezra to be the exponent of the Rebellion that caused the catastrophe at Malachor. Krell orders his men to move the recruits into position and ready for taking a Rebel down for real. Ezra is pitted into the fighting pit against Zare and two more when Krell announces that only one person can exit. Realizing that their training batons are set to deadly charges, the other two engage Ezra and Zare immediately and they are forced to defend themselves. Ultimately Zare is forced to kill one of them when he is pushed into a corner. Ezra comes to his rescue by pushing the second recruit against the electronet, basically knocking him out. They are then facing each other and Zare tells Ezra he cannot take the chance that Ezra wins and he'll never find his sister. Ezra is forced to defend himself against Zare now, but the masked assailant comes in between, knocking the both of them out by using Force Lightning. Krell is appeased and orders his Stormtroopers to take the recruits to a holding area, while the bodies are disposed off. As Ezra is unconscious and strung up, Zare is taken consciously to a chamber where the masked assailant and Krell are waiting. Krell tells him if he wants to get his sister so badly, he'll have his way, as the masked assailant is revealed to be Dhara Leonis, emersed in the Dark Side of the Force. Ezra Bridger #3 With both Ezra and Zare strung up and at the mercy of Edon Krell and the mysterious assassin, now revealed to be Dhara Leonis, the situation seems hopeless. With Ezra unable to help him out, Zare attempts to reach out and break through to Dhara, who instead unleashes a barrage of Force Lightning at him. Edon Krell tells him he knew the brother of Dhara would come seek his sister, but not that he would be this helpless. He then holds Zare in a Force Choke, telling him he will not come out alive and he might as well submit. It is then that Ezra manages to break free and wake up and knocks down Edon Krell. This allows him and Zare to escape, but Dhara uses her Inquisitor issued double-bladed lightsaber to almost cut them down. Ezra attempts to convince Zare that Dhara is lost to the Dark Side, but Zare refuses to accept that. Ezra knows this will come back to haunt him and he grabs Zare with Force Choke himself to drag him out. Dhara orders the entire academy security on lockdown and hunts them down. Being escorted by a squad of Inquisitor Troopers, Dhara tracks the two down to training barracks, where Zare and Ezra are indeed hiding. Zare is not happy with Ezra having dragged him out of there using the Force. Ezra once again attempts to convince him that Dhara is lost to the Dark Side, but Zare refuses to accept it, she did not kill him. The Inquisitor Troopers blow up the doors to the barracks, but Ezra and Zare are able to escape in the sewers. They hide out for the night, while viewing the training grounds. They learn how the new trainees are trained when a group of trainees were forced to fight each other to the death with the winner kicking the loser down the pit. Realizing that is what will wait them if they continue to infiltrate, Ezra and Zare put away their differences to work out a way to get off the planet and save Dhara. Ezra says the Academy Offices will have a way for them to contact the Rebel fleet so they need to get in there. Through the sewers they work out a way to get to the offices without being noticed. There Ezra wants to contact the Rebel fleet, but Zare first has to scramble the signal. Stormtroopers and Dhara arrive to take them into custody and Ezra manages to contact the fleet, who tells him they will send a ship, they just need to get off the planet. Ezra and Zare once again manage to escape from the room, when a large shadow appears over the academy. Ezra feels a chilling cold and a ripple in the Force, realizing someone has arrived. Looking out in the hiding spot, it turns out he is correct - Darth Vader has arrived. Ezra Bridger #4